Did you know that there were 30.6 million bloggers in the United States in 2018? Imagine how many there are today…
Bloggers are today’s culture influencers, opinion leaders, and even authorities in some cases. If you are thinking of starting a blog, or want to make money online as a blogger, then you’re in the right place. In this post, I will cover what you need to know to start as a freelance blogger.
Freelance blogging or writing is one of the best ways to make money online. Basically, all you need to get started is a laptop and an internet connection. After some minor preparations, you can get paid to write from the comfort of your home.
With that being said, let’s take a closer look at what freelance blogging is about and how to get started.
What Is Freelance Blogging?
Freelance blogging keeps growing in popularity and is basically about being a writer for companies that don’t have the time or skills (in-house) to do it themselves.
As a freelance blogger, you can get paid to write blog posts for clients. So when a client requests your services, you do your research, write the blog post, and submit it to the client for review. And if no edits are needed, you’ll get paid.
Besides, freelance bloggers can also offer additional services like keyword research, photo editing and designing featured images, updating the client’s website, and more.
Offering additional services can help you get more clients since not all business owners know how to do this, nor have time. You can then increase your freelance rate as well.
How to Start as a Freelance Blogger?
To begin, making money as a freelance blogger requires the following:
- Knowledge — Blog about something you are an expert in or are interested in learning.
- Passion — The more passionate you are about the topic, the easier it is to write about it. Especially when there’s delayed gratification, and you likely won’t make much money initially.
- Persistence — Blogging is an investment in time and effort. It won’t pay off overnight, which is why you need to stay persistent with it and have faith it’ll be worth the effort.
If you feel you’ve got these things nailed down, starting as a freelance blogger doesn’t have to be a complicated process. So, here’s what you need to do:
1. Choose a Niche or Passion
The first thing you need to do is decide the topic you want to write about.
Choosing a niche that you’ve knowledge in will help you present yourself as an expert in your field. This will attract more clients who want to work with you since they know you’ll deliver high-quality content.
Being an expert in the field will not only help you create high-quality content but also monetize your blogging.
However, don’t forget to check if the niche is profitable and if businesses are willing to pay for content regarding the topic.
2. Create Your Own Blog or Website
When you’ve decided on a niche, you need to create your own blog or website. Even when first starting out and you don’t have any writing samples to offer, having a blog shows clients that you’ve got the skills you need to do the job. In addition, it also makes it easier for potential clients to find you online.
The best blogging platform to use is WordPress.org. With WordPress, you can easily create your own self-hosted blog. That way, you own your website and blog content and can monetize it any way you want.
Plus, WordPress.org is free to use. The only thing you’ll need to pay for is a domain name and hosting, which doesn’t have to be costly, depending on your needs. For example, Bluehost is an excellent hosting provider.
And Blog Tyrant’s free domain name generator tool will help you pick a good domain name. Simply enter a few keywords, and it’ll instantly suggest domain name ideas you can use.
Expert tip: A good way of monetizing your blog is to partner up with different companies that are willing to pay you a commission when you mention any of their products or services. This is called affiliate marketing.
How Much Does a Freelance Blogger Make?
How much money you can make as a freelance blogger depends on how much experience you have and how many writing samples you can provide.
It also depends on the niche you’re active in. For example, a technical writer can charge a higher fee than someone blogging about food since it demands more research and knowledge.
That said, many beginners charge $25 – $50 per blog post. However, an experienced freelance blogger can charge as much as $500 per post or more.
How Do Freelance Bloggers Get Paid?
To collect your payment as a freelance blogger, you can use Venmo, PayPal, or direct transfer.
Or you can even accept credit cards via Stripe on your website or use a service like Freshbooks to send invoices and receive payments.
Can I Start Without Any Experience?
Now to the question I believe many of you are asking: Can I start without any freelance blogging experience? The simple answer is yes.
Like mentioned, starting your own blog and posting on it is the first step. Simply by publishing blog posts on your website, it’ll show potential clients that you have the skills needed to do the job.
You can also look for clients at freelance job boards, such as:
- ProBlogger
- FlexJobs
- WeWorkRemotely
- BloggingPro
- Upwork
And there you have it.
Conclusion
In this post, I’ve shared with you how to make money online as a freelance blogger. Now it’s your turn to put these simple tips into action. With a bit of time and effort, you’ll get more and more clients to hire you for your excellent blogging skills. Before you go, please share your thoughts and progress in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you.
